This invention relates to documents management in general, and specifically to an improved documents management technique using a collection of searchable binders. More particularly, this invention relates to a searchable binder with a security lock for preventing unauthorized removal of a searchable binder from a cabinet shelf.
In medical records, legal and business offices, and some homes, notebook binders (hereinafter “binders”) are typically used to store documents used for medical, legal, other business and personal purposes. A typical binder has a front cover, a rear cover and a spine joining the two covers. Inside the binder, a multi-ring manually operable binder mechanism having two or more two-piece arcuate rings is permanently mounted to facilitate insertion, storage and removal of documents having a number of holes formed along a mounting edge, with the number of holes corresponding to the number of rings of the binder mechanism. Each binder is typically removably supported on a shelf by placing the bottom edges of the binder covers and spine of a closed binder on the top surface of the supporting shelf. Several binders are typically installed on a given shelf, and several shelves are typically incorporated into a shelf support structure, such as a cabinet. In order to enable the documents contained in the various binders to be readily accessed, some type of documents management system is necessary.
Documents management is typically performed by binder management. Each document is initially assigned to, and placed in, an identified binder dedicated to documents of a particular subject matter (e.g., “utility bills for a specific account”). Later-generated related documents are typically assigned to and placed in this same binder. When a binder is filled to capacity by documents, a new binder is provided for receiving additional documents of the same category.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,717,143 issued May 6, 2014 (hereinafter the'143 patent), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a searchable binder suitable for use in a binder management system which enables quick and efficient location of binders in a document management system. More particularly, the binder management system has a cabinet with shelves for removable storage of searchable binders. Each binder has a body with front and rear covers and a spine. Inside the body is a binder mechanism for removably retaining sheet media. Each binder has externally extending upper and lower ohmic contact members which ohmically engage conductive members mounted on the shelf surfaces near the front when a binder is installed on a cabinet shelf. Each binder has a binder identification circuit coupled to an LED mounted on the binder spine in a location visible when the binder rests on a shelf. When a binder identification signal from a host computer is presented to the shelf conductive members it is transferred by the binder contact members to the binder identification circuit. If the binder identification signal matches a code stored in the binder identification circuit, the LED is activated to aid the user in finding the binder. An LED and an optional audible indicator are mounted on the cabinet to further aid the user in finding the sought binder.
While the searchable binder system described above represents a substantial improvement in the field of binder management systems, it suffers from the same disadvantage of conventional binder management systems using ordinary, non-searchable binders: namely, anyone with access to the storage space where the binder cabinets are located can remove a binder from its shelf-whether authorized or not. This is due to the fact that the binders and cabinets are designed to promote easy installation and removal of binders on the support shelves of the cabinets. More particularly, a binder can be installed on a shelf by simply placing the lower margin of the binder on a support shelf and sliding the binder rearward of the cabinet. To remove a binder, the user simply grasps the binder and pulls it outwardly of the support shelf until the binder is free and clear. With nothing to prevent removal of a binder from a shelf, binders can be easily purloined by anyone having access to the binder storage space, which compromises the integrity of the binder collection and the documents stored therein.